Plants 70-150 mm high, including leaves. Stem ± acaulescent or reaching up to 50 mm above ground, densely white-velvety, without collar of fibres around stem base, often producing slender stolons. Leaves linear to sword-shaped, 3-6 mm wide (subsp. tubiflora) OR lanceolate, 8-12 mm wide (subsp. saxicola); shallowly pleated, smooth to lightly to densely hairy. Spike inclined to decumbent, 6-to 16-flowered; bracts with dry brown tips, velvety, 35-60 mm long, inner mostly 1/4 to 1/2 as long, forked apically. Flowers zygomorphic, white, with or without small pink or red median markings on lower lateral or all 3 lower tepals (subsp. tubiflora) OR creamy pink to creamy white, with small pink to red markings on lower tepal (subsp. saxicola), tepals ascending below or spreading from base, odourless; perianth tube (45-)60-80(-100) mm long, ± straight, cylindric throughout or slightly wider in upper 5-7 mm; tepals subequal, narrowed below and ± clawed, dorsal only slightly larger, 18-23 mm long, lower 3 tepals 3-4 mm wide. Stamens unilateral; filaments arched, 13-16 mm long; anthers 4-5 mm, usually white. Ovary smooth; style dividing between lower 1/3 to shortly above anther tips, branches 3-4 mm long.
More
Like B. tubulosa but flowers uniformly creamy white or with red marks on lower tepals, tube with a short, obscure gullet, filaments 13-16 mm long, style branches 3-4 mm.
Home
